Creatable and relatable

Yesterday, when I got this alert, I could not remember what it was about. After all, I don't have children (goddess forbids) or any nephews or nieces who'd be doll-appropriate. So where the hell did that come from? I got myself to google and tried to find out what the whole Mattel thing was. Oh, yes, I ask Siri to remind me of things because sometimes my memory is like a leaking bucket and I have to find ways to remind myself of things that I need to do. It also helps me focus on things at a certain moment and it improves my productivity. Remember planners? I used to love those. Now I have Siri.

So, for a second, I thought it was a Trixie Mattel thing. Was I forgetting something I needed to remember? Maybe watch her special on Netflix? You know, Trixie, the Drag artist that gets cancelled every now and then for her opinions? The Trixie of the Katya and Trixie show? Yes, that one. But no, it was not a Trixie thing. Apparently it was indeed a Mattel thing: 

In our world, dolls are as limitless as the kids who play with them. Introducing Creatable World™, a doll line designed to keep labels out and invite everyone in—giving kids the freedom to create their own customizable characters again and again.

MATTEL

I think that maybe last year I read about the whole genderless doll that Mattel was going to put out and I asked Siri to remind me about it, but I'm not sure why it reminded me in September 2020 when apparently in September 2019 it was announced in Forbes. The line apparently comes with customizable dolls, that can adapt to fit the gender expression of the kid who plays with them. The hair, the clothes, the accessories. They all can fit the children's idea of what is it that they want to play with. I thought it was brilliant. 

When I was a wee gay, I loved playing with dolls. I could go from a G.I. Joe style of doll to a Barbie-style of doll in a heartbeat. I usually rescued my sister's mangled dolls (she experimented with haircuts that were way too avant-garde and her dolls regularly went through varied physical ordeals) or just plainly stole them to play with them myself. I clearly remember some kind of motorized mermaid that had underwater adventures in our sink along with a Navy SEAL scuba diver I had. My dolls were always in some kind of a dangerous mission where she looked fantastic and he was heroic but trapped underwater by some kind of monster/enemy/thing and she had to go and rescue him. Or something. 

The thing is, Mattel created this doll to make sure that all kids could have the doll they wanted. And judging by that reminder, I was all for it. The doll line came to be after more than a year of work physicians and experts on gender identity with children of all gender identities across the US. Who knew? Doll play is apparently very important for some children and the idea of having a doll that would reflect the child that plays with it sounds like a great idea. At least to me. Dolls should be more a reflection of the kid that plays with them rather than a model that the kid feels the need to follow. The Creatable World doll comes in six different doll kits with different skin tones and hair textures and multiple clothing combos. Progress!

Of course, you know that the wingnuts had something to say about it. Because of course they did. Motherfuckers cannot miss a beat when it comes to telling people how to live and start screaming 'think of the children' at the least provocation. That is, if the children are not brown and in cages. So yesterday I decided to put on my big boy pants and go to Target to see if I could find the doll and get myself one. Because why not. But when I got to Target, that bastion of inconspicuous suburban consumption, I could not find the doll. I walked up and down the toy aisles (there's a TON of toys at Target) but I could not find the Creatable World dolls. Apparently they don't stock all of their dolls because of course, you can order online and get it delivered to the store (what?). 

In any case, I decided to go look for some Nate Berkus on sale and also get some face masks at Old Navy (I was already in the vortex of suburbia, so why not?). So it was not all lost. I kept wondering what would have been of me if I have had a doll like that when I was a child. I only had the binary to play with, natch. Would my mom had bought me the Creatable Doll to play with? I have no idea. But I hope many parents decided to get it for their children. Judging from Target and its lack of stock, I may say that many did. Good for them!

XOXO